The present invention generally relates to the browsing of information resources accessible through a data network, including Web pages and the like, and, more particularly to a system and method for use in creating and utilizing electronic notes relating to information resources while browsing the information resources.
Data networks permit one device (e.g., a client) connected to the network to access an information resource available on another device (e.g., a server) also connected to the network. One example of such a network is the Internet. Using standard Internet protocols, such as the hypertext transport protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d), client devices connected to the Internet may access many information resources including information resources that are part of the World Wide Web (the xe2x80x9cWebxe2x80x9d). The Web is a collection of numerous Web sites stored on servers connected to the Internet. Each Web site on the Web may be comprised of multiple Web pages including, for example, hypertext documents and related image, audio and video files, electronic forms, software applications and the like. The locations of Web pages available on servers connected to the Internet are identified by string expressions known as uniform resource locators (URLs), sometimes also referred to as universal resource locators. URLs typically follow the format: protocol to be used when accessing the resource://name of host on which the resource is located/directory on host/name of resource. For example, the URL xe2x80x98http://www.hro.com/main.cfmxe2x80x99 identifies the resource named xe2x80x98main.cfmxe2x80x99 on the Web host xe2x80x98hro.comxe2x80x99 and specifies that the HTTP be used in accessing the named resource.
Web browsers, such as those available from Microsoft(copyright), Netscape(copyright) and American Online(copyright), permit users to easily access and view Web pages identified by their associated URLs. Given the often hyperlinked nature of Web pages, a person browsing the Web (xe2x80x9ca Web surferxe2x80x9d) with a Web browser may easily go from one Web page to another, and, in a relatively short period of time, a Web surfer may visit numerous Web pages. As may be appreciated, it can be difficult for a Web surfer to remember what Web pages they have previously accessed, not to mention their identifying URLs. Likewise, it can be quite difficult for a Web surfer to recall information they may have obtained from a Web page that they have visited.
In addition to visiting numerous Web pages in a relatively short period of time, a Web surfer may periodically re-visit the same Web pages. Since the content of a particular Web page may change over time, it can be difficult for a Web surfer to recall information that was present on a particular Web page when they previously visited that page. For example, a Web surfer may periodically visit a Web page that provides current stock price quotations, and since the stock price quotations can change quickly, it can be quite difficult for a Web surfer to recall the price quoted for a particular stock several days prior.
One manner in which a Web surfer may remember what Web pages they have visited is to maintain a separate list (e.g., hand-written or prepared using a word processor program) of Web pages and their associated URLs. They may then refer to their list and manually enter the URL of a Web page that they want to visit into their Web browser command line. Additional notes may be added to the separately maintained list by the Web surfer in order to remember information obtained from the various Web pages. However, maintaining and utilizing such a list can be difficult since doing so does not seamlessly correlate the notes with their corresponding Web pages during the Web browsing process.
As an alternative to paper notes, many Web browsers include a feature whereby a user of the browser may save a list of Web pages that the user may wish to access again in the future (e.g., a xe2x80x9cfavoritesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cbookmarksxe2x80x9d feature). The Web surfer may then simply select a desired Web page from the list in order to prompt the Web browser to access the selected Web page again. However, such Web browser features typically do not permit a Web surfer to create and maintain extensive notes relating to a listed Web page.
Moreover, a user may wish to annotate web pages stored locally on his/her device and be presented with notes corresponding with each locally-stored web page while disconnected from any network or the internet.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a method and system for creating and using notes while browsing information resources (e.g., Web pages) accessible through a data network (e.g., the Internet) with a client device (e.g., a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a cellular telephone, and the like). In accordance with the present invention, browsing activity using the client device is monitored. When the client device is used to access an information resource, the system and method of the present invention permit a user of the client device to enter data comprising a note associated with the information resource being accessed. The note is stored in a file for later retrieval. As the user accesses various information resources, they may create separate notes associated with each information resource accessed. When the user subsequently returns to an information resource associated with a previously created and stored note, such note may be automatically output to the user. Thus, the method and system of the present invention assist a user thereof in recognizing information resources that they have previously accessed and recalling information that they may have noted while previously accessing such information resources.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for use in connection with browsing of information resources accessible to a client device through a data network (e.g., Web pages accessible via the Internet) includes the step of determining whether there is a stored note file corresponding with an information resource accessed by the client device. In this regard, the stored note file corresponding with the accessed information resource may, for example, be stored on a data storage device of the client device or on a data storage device accessible to the client device via the data network. Based upon a determination made in the determining step that there is a stored note file corresponding with the accessed information resource, at least some data from the stored note file corresponding with the accessed information resource is output. In this regard, data from the stored note file corresponding with the accessed information resource may, for example, be output on a display screen accessible to the client device, on an audio speaker accessible to the client device, or on a printer accessible to the client device. The method may further include the step of receiving data inputable by a user of the client device for inclusion in a new note file corresponding to the accessed information resource. The receiving step is executed based on a determination made in the determining step that there is no stored note file corresponding with the accessed information resource.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of creating and using notes relating to Web pages using a client device enabled for browsing the Web includes the step of determining whether a previously created note file Corresponding with a Web page accessed by the client device is stored on the client device. When it is determined that there is a note file corresponding with the URL of the Web page pointed to by the browser, stored on the client device, at lease some data from the stored note file corresponding with the accessed Web page is then output on an output device of the client device. When it is determined that there is no note file corresponding with the URL of the Web page pointed to by the browser, stored on the client device, data imputable by a user of the client device for including in a new note file corresponding to the accessed Web page is received. The new note file may then be assigned a name, and the new note file may be stored on the client device using the assigned name. In this regard, the name assigned the new note file may comprise a text string that includes at least some characters parsed from a uniform resource locator of the accessed Web page. The new note file may be assigned a name and stored on the client device upon receiving an input indicating that the new note file is to be stored, or when another Web page is accessed by the client device.
In determining whether a previously created note file corresponding with the accessed Web page is stored on the client device, a database including data cross-referencing names of stored note files with uniform resource locators identifying Web pages to which the stored note files correspond may be accessed. A uniform resource locator identifying the accessed Web page may be compared with the uniform resource locators in the database to determine whether a previously created note file at corresponding to the accessed Web page is stored on the client device. In this regard, the database may comprise an ASCII text file having entries comprising the name of a stored note file paired with the uniform resource locator identifying the Web page with which the stored note file corresponds. When a new note file is stored, the database may also be updated to include data cross-referencing the uniform resource locator identifying the accessed Web page with the assigned name of the new note file.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for creating and using electronic annotations relating to information resources includes a processor enabled for accessing information resources (e.g., Web pages) through a data network (e.g., the Internet), a storage device, an output device, and an input device, all accessible by the processor, and an application program executable by the client device. The processor, storage device, output device, and input device may all be part of one client device, such as, for example, a personal computer system, a personal digital assistant, or a cellular telephone. The application program enables the processor to determine, when the processor is used to access an information resource, to whether a previously created note file corresponding with the accessed information resource is stored on the storage device. When it is determined that there is a note file corresponding with the accessed information resource on the storage device, the application program enables the processor to output at least some data from stored note files corresponding with the accessed information resource on the output device. When it is determined that there is no note file corresponding with the accessed information resource stored on the storage device, the application program enables the processor to receive data from the input device for inclusion in a new note file corresponding to the accessed information resource.
The system of the present invention may further include a database accessible to the processor. The database may be stored on the storage device. The database includes data cross-referencing names of stored note files with identifiers identifying the information resources to which the stored note files correspond. For example, where the information resources are Web pages, the identifiers may comprise uniform resource locators and the database may comprise an ASCII text file having entries comprising the name of a stored note file paired with the uniform resource locator identifying the Web page with which the stored note file corresponds. The application program may further enable the processor to determine whether a note file corresponding with the accessed information resource is stored on the client device by comparing a uniform resource locator identifying the accessed information resource with the identifiers in the database. Additionally, the application program may enable the processor to assign the new note file a name and store the new note file on the storage device using the assigned name. The application program may also enable the processor to update the database to include data cross-referencing the identifier identifying the accessed information resource with the assigned name of the new note file.
According to a further aspect of the present invention a method for use in browsing information resources using a client device includes the step of accessing an information resource. Once the URL of the information resource has been pointed to by the browser, data comprising a note file corresponding to the accessed URL may be received. The note file may then be stored on the client device for later retrieval. When it is determined that the URL pointed to by the browser corresponds to a stored note file, the stored note file is retrieved, and at least some data from the retrieved note file is output on an output device of the client device. In this regard, a browser program executable by the client device may be used to perform the steps of accessing, receiving, storing, retrieving and outputting. A timer utilizes application programming interface calls to monitor the URL currently pointed to by the browser in-focus, to determine the currently pointed to URL. Alternatively, a browser program executable by the client device may be used to perform the step of accessing, and a plug-in to the browser may be used to perform the steps of accessing, storing, retrieving and outputting. Further, the step of accessing may be performed using a browser program executable by the client device, and the steps of receiving, storing, retrieving and outputting may be performed using an application program separately executable from the browser program by the client device.
According to an additional aspect of the present invention a system for use in browsing information resources using a client device includes means for accessing an information resource. In this regard, the means for accessing may comprise a browser application program executable by the client device. The system further includes means for receiving data comprising a note file corresponding to the accessed information resource, means for storing the note file on the client device, means for retrieving the stored note file when the information resource is subsequently accessed, and means for outputting, on an output device of the client device, at least some data from the retrieved note file. In the regard, the means for receiving, means for storing, means for retrieving, and means for outputting may comprise a browser application program executable by the client device. Alternatively, the means for receiving, means for storing, means for retrieving, and means for outputting may comprise a plug-in program executable by the client device in conjunction with execution of the browser program. Further, the means for receiving, means for storing, means for retrieving, and means for outputting may comprise an application program executable by the client device separate from the browser program.